The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-03-24
The Wonderful Graphophone,


The Wonderful Graphophone,
Washington letter says: I have
some startling news day for shorthand
writers. 1t is concerning wonderful
little instrument called the graphophone.
which its owners claim will entirely do
away with stenographers and stenograph.
ic work. Apractical test has been made
OF its reporting at a mechanical labora.
tory here, and it has been found success:
full. Its the invention of Mr.. Sumner
Taintor, Prof. Alexander Graham Bell,
the inventor of the Bell telephone, and
DR.. Chichester A. Bell, an eminent
chemist. The machine is operated on
the principle Of the phonograph. It is
very simple, andis free from mechanical
complication. 1t has treadle, and it
looks very much like small sewing
machine. Edison discovered the art of
recording and reproducing sound, but
his Invention could not be used because
of it's clumsy mechanical arrangement,
coupled with the very inferior and un.'
satisfactory methods of recording the
sounds produced. He used piece Of
tinfoil upon which the sound waves were
indicated and from which they were
easily obliterated. The present inventor,
Mr.. Taintor, saw that,a less desssnctible
material was required, and Sonsid-
erable experiment tried pl Kation to
wax and paraf6ne. This the surface
now used, and it works perfectly. he
then made an entirely new apparatus,
and the result is the graphophone,
machine which will sing song, report
whistle, or give the quality and inaec.
tions of the voice in most charming
way. The small point which is attached
to the diaphragm of the machine cuts
minute hair line in the wax surface.
This line is SO faint that it is scarcely
perceptible to the naked eye, yet. it
serves to give reproduction, so as to be
distinctly heard by the listener, of a
song, 4. laugh, or an ordinary speech.
A test vas made of the powers of this
machine last Sunday, and among those
present besides the inventors were Sena-
tor Fair, the Hon. E. J. Colman, Prof.
Melville Bell, Mr.. Austin Herr, Mr..
Frank Mcguire, Mr.. Chephade, Mr.. De-
vine and others. The test was very
fine one. Two gentlemen, one acting as
a lawyer and the other as witness, util-
lied the graphophone for taking testi-
mony. These gentlemen spoke in ordi-
nary tones in the machine, one asking a
question and the other answering it. A
dozen questions and answers were given.
Then young lady, who had not heard
what either party had said, came into
the room and took the testimony from
the graphophone and wrote it out. The
experiment was complete success, and
no errors were made. Among the gen.
tlemen mentioned above as being present
are some of the leading stenographers OF
the country. These men were very en-
thusiastic over the result. They said (:
ssWe can use these machines and do away
with amanuenses, and these machines
mean revolution in amapuenses work.
A man can employ at $40 a month q
young man or woman, and, by the aid of
graphophone. have all the benefits
of the very best stenoglapher.
A stenographer would have cost
him from $1,000 to $4,000 a year,
and this machine will take down his
words more accurately, and that in such
way that the record can be reproduced
from 400 to 500 times without ipjuring
the original"
The machine is eaid to be now perfect,
and il will probably be on the market
within three months. The price will
likely be very reasonable and it will cost
in all probability no more than type.
writer. The inventors feel that they
have discovered something equal to the
telephone. MI. Sumner Taintor is only
about 80 years of age, is very modest
man, and he rather understates than
overstates the value of the machine. DR..
Chicester A. Bell is as modest as Tain.
tor, and he has made other remarkable
discoveries in recording and reproducing
sounds which will place him high in the
rank of Inventors. Every one knows
the record of Alexander Graham Bell
and how his telephone has captured the
world. He will become even better
known through the present invention.